Palm Releases webOS Update 1.3.1

Palm last night released the webOS 1.3.1 update for Palm Pre and the Palm Pixi. The OTA (over the air) update is available by selecting ‘Updates’ on your device. The update is available for both Sprint and Bell wireless carriers. The complete changelog is available after the break. You can discuss the update in our forums.

Version information

Version: webOS 1.3.1

Release date: 15 November 2009

New applications

NONE

Feature changes to existing applications

Backup

Backup now includes browser cookies, so that after a restart, for example, if you stored your username and password on a web-based email site, you can continue to access the site without needing to log in.

Backup no longer saves online account passwords. If you perform a partial or full erase or buy a replacement phone, after signing in to your Palm profile, you are prompted to enter the password for each of your online accounts. If you choose to skip this step, to continuing synchronizing this account, you must open an app that syncs with the account (Calendar, Contacts, Email) > application menu > Preferences & Accounts > tap the account name > enter your username and password.

Calendar

An event’s location now appears with the same formatting in Day view and in the event notification.

Calendar notifications no longer reappear after being dismissed.

All-day events that span more than one day now appear correctly in all Calendar views.

If you create a Google calendar event on the phone and the event location contains an apostrophe, the event now correctly synchronizes with Google online.

Camera

After taking a picture, if you tap the picture thumbnail in the lower-left corner of the camera screen, the picture now opens in full-screen view, not Thumbnails view. Making the back gesture returns you to the camera.

Automatic contact linking based on name matches occurs only if the first and last name fields are populated with the same names. If either field is blank, the Contacts app no longer links the contacts. In addition, the Contacts app no longer automatically links contacts with the same name but with different suffixes (such as Jr. and Sr.).

Contact phone numbers in an Exchange account display the same label that is used for the number in Outlook.

If you set up Contacts to synchronize with a Google account, the account synchronizes only entries in Google’s My Contacts, not all contacts.

If a contact entry includes a linked Google instant message that contains a special character (such as an apostrophe or ampersand), the special character now displays correctly.

Device Info

If you copy a music file to the phone and then delete it, Device Info now shows the correct amount of available memory after the deletion.

Email

Forwarded and replied-to messages include improved formatting, such as the original sender’s email address in forwarded messages and correct inline image display in replies.

The list of mail types available in manual setup now includes Google Apps (Hosted Google Domains) and Yahoo! Small Business Domain email accounts. Selecting one of these types automatically enters the correct settings for these accounts.

If you have multiple Exchange accounts, doing a Global Address List (GAL) contact lookup searches all the accounts.

When you set up more than one email account from the same provider-for example, two Gmail or two Yahoo! accounts-in Account List view, the account names display the associated email address so that you can distinguish them.

A new Select All menu item selects message body text so that you can cut or copy it. A new Copy All menu item copies the entire message contents-sender, date, recipient, subject, and body text-so that you can paste it elsewhere. These menu items appear only when a message is open.

If you turn the All Inboxes preference off, email notifications now show how many new messages are in each of your email accounts.

Performing a message search in the All Flagged folder returns flagged messages only.

If an Exchange 2003 implementation requires a password, you can select an alphanumeric (strong) password even if the server does not require a strong password.

If an Exchange implementation allows use of a simple PIN (numbers only), the phone supports entry of a PIN that is longer than four characters.

If a notification appears for an incoming email message whose subject line contains an ampersand, the ampersand appears correctly in the notification.

Messaging

You can forward a text or multimedia message by tapping the message > Forward.

You can copy the text of a text or multimedia message by tapping the message > Copy Text.

If you receive a message from an email address, the sender’s name (if in Contacts) or email address (if not) shows up correctly on the new message notification and on the open message in Messaging.

If you copy a conversation using the Copy All menu item and then pastes the conversation text, the pasted text now appears correctly as plain text, without any HTML tags.

Messaging notifications now show the number of senders and the number of conversations.

If you enter a message and start it with a standalone letter-for example, “R” or “r” for “are”-when the auto-correct feature expands the letter to a word, the word is correctly capitalized (“Are”).

Music

While listening to a song with album art displayed, you can tap the screen below the art to display a playback slider. Dragging the slider jumps forward or backward in the song.

Phone

If the you are on a call, calendar notifications no longer partially cover the End Call icon.

Screen & Lock

A new Secure Unlock preference allows you to set the time interval the phone is idle before the phone locks, requiring you to enter the PIN/password to unlock the phone. This can be the same as or different from the interval after which the screen turns off. To set the preference: Open Screen & Lock > Lock After.

If you select the Simple PIN Secure Unlock option, you can now enter a numeric PIN of more than four digits.

If you press power to turn off the screen, the screen locks at the same time. Previously, there was a gap of a few seconds before the screen locked.

Sounds & Ringtones

If you select a new ringtone and throw the card off the screen, the phone saves the new ringtone selection.

If you set the Ringer Switch Off setting to Mute and turn the ringer switch off at any time, the ringer is muted and the phone does not vibrate, regardless of any other Sounds & Ringtones settings.

System

The application information dialog box (accessed by pressing and holding the orange key/Option and tapping an app icon) displays the total (uncompressed) size of the app, including the amount of storage the app requires. For apps you installed, this number represents the amount of memory you free up on the phone by deleting the app.

If you change the apps in Quick Launch, after a backup and partial erase, the new apps still appear in Quick Launch. Previously, Quick Launch reverted to the default apps.

You can access USB Drive mode by pressing and holding the orange key/Option + Sym + U after connecting the phone to the computer. This enables you to access USB drive mode if the screen is broken or stops responding to taps.

A new option is available for restarting the phone: press and hold power > Power > Restart. The prior restart method (Device Info > Reset Options > Restart) is still available.

Tasks

If a task notification shows a single task, tapping the notification now opens the details screen for that task, not the task list screen.

Videos

Widescreen videos now display in widescreen mode on the phone by default, instead of being cropped.

Web

Backup now includes browser cookies, so that after a restart, for example, if you stored your username and password on a web-based email site, you can continue to access the site without needing to log in.

If you tap to play a YouTube video embedded on a web page, the YouTube application launches and the video plays in the app.

YouTube

Widescreen videos now display in widescreen mode on the phone by default, instead of being cropped.

If you tap to play a YouTube video embedded on a web page, the YouTube application launches and the video plays in the app.

Security

This release addresses several security issues with Palm webOS software.

We would like to thank Chris Clark for his help in identifying some of the issues addressed in this release.

now all my pre need is video record and then they will still all the iphone customers also more apps. Faster creation but I think taken time to make them perfect always work for the better if anything aim me = flyalday

EMAIL DELETE!! What is wrong with you people? My old Treo had it! It’s ridiculous to have to swipe 30 times (and them another 30) to delete email off the phone. Why not a Selct All button or Delete All button so you can delete the damn email. This can’t be hard! It’s Email Delete 101. So Frustrating you guys don’t get. So GET IT!!

since I am super dumb and can’t for the life of me figure out how to dwnld an on screen keyboard from pre central and/or the pre thing that you dwnld that has the penguin…when will palm update us with a full qwerty on screen keyboard???

Someone needs to help Palm help themselves. Amazingly, WebOS 1.3.1 still does not fix the major flaw causing Microsoft Exchange users (read, business email users) to uncontrollably and unknowingly send emails in oversized type… making emails look as if a kindergartner sent them, or as if you are yelling at your customer/clients. Secondly, the 1.3.1 update introduces a new bug so that Yahoo Mail users will receive continual requests to re-enter a password. I contacted Palm support and they confirmed both issues are unresolved and there is no ETA for either fix. The Exchange issue has been going on for at least a month and renders the Pre useless for anything but casual email. Exchange users often don’t even know their emails look ridiculous until they look through their sent mail, because when typing the emails don’t reflect the oversized font that the receiver will see (for an example, see forum post #35 at http://www.everythingpre.com/forum/palm-webos/please-post-any-issues-with-1-2-here-24029-4.html).

The Pre is turning out to be like a Jaguar car from the 70s. Sexy and impressive to demo, but the cars ran terribly after a little use and always caused their owners pain.

Is it just me, or does it take everyone 4 steps to shut down the phone now? Press the “on/off” button for three seconds or so, and then I get the tap “power”, and then “shut down/swap battery” button, and then finally the “shut down” button… Jeez… Why all the steps? It’s not like we are launching nuclear missiles…

My Exchange email was working perfectly fine until I ran this update.We use Exchange 2010, now for some reason I am recieving the “Server’s Certificate is invalid” error. I removed the account after being prompted repeteatly about this then tried to re-add it and now Im still getting the error and cannot re-sync my email! This is a HUGE problem considering im on the move often and NEED my email. What happened??

Ok, No flash play back? “Hello!!” It’s November and still no flash play back?????.. and since the up-date my phone randomly dials contacts with out even touching it, and deleting saved names” but keeping the #???” WTF?? ok need Video recorder to work!! …need flash play back……. need the “promised” flashing ball missed call thing…… i kno Rome wasn’t built in a day …,but 4 the sack of Palm can we move a lil faster to the fixing of the email and other things mentioned above???????????? pretty plz……

After updating to 1.3.1 I contantly get a message telling me my login credentials for the exchange server were rejected. I tap and the account settings come up but all are correct. I back swipe and it says they are updated. I still get emails fine but I’m getting tired of seeing this message.

One thing I absolutely hate about the new update is that the backlight now automatically turns of when on the touchstone. I used to like keeping it on there with tweed running as a live video feed; now it just automatically locks itself after a minute of inactivity.

Does anybody know of a way to disable this and set it back to the way it was, so that the screen only locks when I press the power button?

After updating to 1.3.1 I contantly get a message telling me my login credentials for the exchange server were rejected. I tap and the account settings come up but all are correct. I back swipe and it says they are updated. I do not get emails either. not sure what the deal is.

wyslwyg yes you can now empty the trash and that is a good thing BUT you Still cannot select all and delete email and you STILL have to swipe them off the screen into the trash one by one and do not tell me there is a “tweak for that.” I get mad every day when I swipe and swipe and swipe. Thanks for the delete the trash though — that is a help.